Non-volatile data storage devices, such as embedded memory devices (e.g., embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) devices) and removable memory devices (e.g., removable universal serial bus (USB) flash memory devices and other removable storage cards), have allowed for increased portability of data and software applications. Users of non-volatile data storage devices increasingly rely on the non-volatile storage devices to store and provide rapid access to a large amount of data.
A data storage device (e.g., a non-volatile data storage device) may be coupled to a host device. The data storage device and the host device may each have a corresponding volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), for temporary storage. However, a size of a host RAM is typically larger than a size of a data storage device RAM (e.g., a RAM of a controller of the non-volatile data storage device). When the host device and the data storage device are configured to communicate using dual channel communication (e.g., both devices may issue and receive commands from the other device), the host device and the data storage device may utilize a unified memory architecture (UMA) to enable the data storage device to use the host RAM as a working memory (e.g., a level two physical table cache, a write buffer, etc.) of the data storage device. For example, one or more protocols may enable the data storage device to utilize (e.g., control) a portion of the host RAM designated for use by the data storage device.
However, when the host device and the data storage device use single channel communication, such as when the host device and the data storage device are in a master-slave configuration (e.g., the host device is a master device and the data storage device is a slave device), the data storage device may not be able to issue commands to the host device. Accordingly, when in the master-slave configuration (e.g., a master-slave environment) the data storage device may not be able to control and/or access the host RAM.